Key Takeaways:
• 48% of organizations say over half of their business communication still relies on direct email
• 83% experienced an email-related security incident; only 33% have adopted key protections
• IT leaders prioritize email security, automation, and integration as top focus areas
• AI is becoming foundational for future email efficiency and risk management
• Email remains central for auditability, compliance, and professional consistency
Email continues to anchor modern business communication despite the widespread adoption of messaging apps, video conferencing, and collaboration platforms. According to Exclaimer’s State of Business Email 2025 report, more than half of all critical internal and external business communication still flows through email—a finding based on responses from 4,009 IT leaders across the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Australia.
While real-time tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom have become essential for day-to-day coordination, email maintains a unique status as the system of record—especially when auditability, compliance, and formality are required. “If it’s important or professional, it’s sent by email,” the report states.
Email Remains Essential Across Industries
The report highlights email’s entrenched role across key sectors such as professional services (92% rate email as important), technology (91%), and finance (90%). Even in industries undergoing digital transformation—like healthcare, education, and manufacturing—email remains indispensable for formal communication and internal alerts.
This isn’t just anecdotal preference. IT leaders ranked direct one-to-one email as more important than instant messaging and collaboration platforms. Nearly half of respondents said more than half of their organization’s communication volume runs through email, outpacing chat-based platforms, which hovered at 43%.
Persistent Security Gaps Amid High Risk
Despite its business-critical nature, email remains a vulnerable entry point for attackers. A striking 83% of organizations reported experiencing a security incident stemming from email in the last year. Yet fewer than one-third have implemented essential domain authentication protocols like DMARC, DKIM, or SPF.
“Start treating the inbox as a high-risk asset, not a support function,” the report urges, pointing out that email-related security challenges—such as phishing, spoofing, and compliance violations—remain among the most pressing for IT teams globally.
The risk varies by geography and sector. For example, finance leaders cited encryption and usability as equally important as phishing protection, while nonprofits reported different threat profiles altogether, possibly due to resource constraints or lower perceived exposure.
Compliance Confidence Doesn’t Equal Control
While 93% of respondents claimed confidence in their compliance posture, only 47% reported being very confident. This disparity points to an overreliance on manual processes and a lack of audit-ready systems. Common challenges include enforcing data retention policies, preventing unauthorized access, and monitoring user behavior—areas where automation remains underutilized.
Larger enterprises face distinct hurdles, with user behavior and decentralized systems making compliance enforcement especially difficult at scale.
Email Management Still Too Manual
Beyond security and compliance, the report exposes inefficiencies in how email is managed operationally. IT teams continue to spend significant time on repeatable tasks such as filtering spam (37%), enforcing signature consistency (35%), and integrating email with other systems (31%).
Only 29% of organizations automate email workflows through tools like Zapier or Microsoft Power Automate, and just 20% use centralized email signature management platforms—despite 92% acknowledging that professional signatures enhance brand trust.
“When no one owns email signatures, everyone owns the mess,” the report notes, referencing how HR, marketing, and IT often split responsibilities inconsistently.
AI, Integration, and Strategic Procurement Are the Future
As organizations evolve, IT leaders are increasingly prioritizing AI and integration in their email technology stack. Forty-three percent expect AI-driven automation to define the future of email, with expectations ranging from intelligent routing to behavioral threat detection and reduced manual overhead.
Security and integration now outrank cost as decision-making factors for email procurement. Rather than buying based on feature lists, IT leaders are focused on long-term architectural fit—ensuring email works seamlessly with CRM, HR, and collaboration platforms.
Email’s Evolution, Not Its Exit
The research underscores that email isn’t disappearing—it’s adapting. Messaging and collaboration platforms now serve complementary roles, offering speed and spontaneity, while email remains the default for messages that must be formal, compliant, or persistent.
“Email still carries the message when it matters most—and IT is the team that makes sure it arrives safely, consistently, and intelligently,” the report concludes.
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Rich Tehrani serves as CEO of TMC and chairman of ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW Feb 10-12, 2026 and is CEO of RT Advisors and is a Registered Representative (investment banker) with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). He handles capital/debt raises as well as M&A. RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.
The above is not an endorsement or recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned. No companies mentioned above are current or past clients of RT Advisors.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the participants. While believed to be reliable, the information has not been independently verified for accuracy. Any broad, general statements made herein are provided for context only and should not be construed as exhaustive or universally applicable.
Portions of this article may have been developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence, which may have contributed to ideation, content generation, factual review, or editing.
